The stage 11 individual time trial from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel will see riders in action for most of the day.
There are 182 still in this Tour de France. Most will start at two-minute intervals, with the last 25 riders setting off at three-minute intervals.
Svein Tuft (Orica-GreenEdge) set an early fast time of 38:04. That will be the marker for most riders and the overall contenders.
Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) is the huge favourite to win the time trial but other contenders include Spanish time trial champion Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar), Tuft, David Millar (Garmin-Sharp) and race leader Chris Froome (Team Sky).
Any increase or change indirection of the wind could be a factor, because much of the course is very close to the coast and the finish is goes out and then back on the long exposed road that links Mont-Saint-Michel to the coast.
Here are the start times of the favourites for the 33km time trial and the overall contenders:
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Lars Boom (Belkin): 12:12 Tony Martin (Omega Pharma-Quick Step): 12:36 David Millar (Garmin-Sharp) 13:14 Jonathan Castroviejo Spanish 13:34 Tejay van Garderen (BMC): 14:42 Cadel Evans (BMC): 16:09 Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha): 16:30 Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp): 16:33 Nairo Quintana (Movistar): 16:36 Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff): 16:39 Roman Kreuziger (Saxo-Tinkoff): 16:42 Laurens ten Dam (Belkin): 16:45 Bauke Mollema (Belkin): 16:48 Alejandro Valverde (Movistar): 16:51 Chris Froome (Team Sky): 16:54.
Kristoff re-ups with Katusha
Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff has re-signed with Team Katusha for two years, for an alleged 700,000 Euros per year. He has five wins so far this season, and was second in the Tour de France's opening stage.
He signed the contract on July 4, in Montpellier. “I am happy to continue with Katusha,” he told Procycling.no. “It is a good deal. The future is secured for the next two years.”
So far this year the 26-year-old has won stages at the Three Days of De Panne and Tour de Suisse, as well as three stages at his homeland race Tour of Norway.
He said that he may have been paid more elsewhere, but that at Katusha, “I have the assurances that I can focus on the races that I love and want. That's enough for me.”
Gesink sees improvement in time trialing
Robert Gesink of Team Belkin is looking forward to today's time trial, a discipline in which he says he is improving. This is “a not too long time trial. Actually I like a distance of about thirty kilometers better than fifty kilometers,” he told De Telegraaf.
He finished 11th in the 54.8 km time trial on the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia, which pleased him. “In recent years the trials go well for me.”
And he knows why. “I'm still working hard. So I go every winter the wind tunnel and I have another improved time trial bike.
“This day is an important indication for the GC of how everyone stands at mid-Tour.”
